Wine Spectator: This delivers a winey core of crushed currant, melted black licorice, plum sauce and roasted vanilla flavors, all woven to- gether with solid grip on the full-bodied finish...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: A sleeper of the vintage, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2008 Branon displays chocolatey, earthy undertones intermixed with black currants and Asian plum sauce. Medium to full-b...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: A sleeper of the vintage, the dense ruby/purple-tinged 2008 Branon displays chocolatey, earthy undertones intermixed with black currants and Asian plum sauce. Medium to full-b...

Wine Spectator: A kiss of toast gives way to nicely firm flavors of tobacco, red currant and iron, which stay slightly taut through the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. ...

Wine Spectator: Toasty and smoky oak frames black cherry and currant flavors in this firm yet racy red, which has solid tannins, but fresh acidity keeps it lively. Balanced and harmonious, th...

Wine Spectator: This lush, expressive red is rich with ripe fruit flavors of blackberry and cassis, framed with coffee bean and dark chocolate. The tannins are firm but well-integrated, and j...

About this Wine: Purchased in 1998 from the daughter of the local blacksmith - hence the name - the initial vineyard was primarily based on a gravel outcrop, assembled over the generations wit...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Clos Manou, a well-run estate in the northern Medoc, has fashioned a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that achieved 13.5% natural alcohol...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Produced from yields of 20 hectoliters per hectare (14% natural alcohol), this 2008 reveals surprisingly high acids as well as a tart, repressed personality. Medium-bodied wit...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2008, which was problematic from barrel tastings, has settled down beautifully, and showed very well on three separate occasions. Proprietor Michel Bortolussi has turned o...

Wine Enthusiast: In its youth, this is intensely grassy, the grapefruit and green pepper flavors adding to the general crispness of the wine. It will be an attractive wine, full of pep, with a...

Wine Spectator: A plump, fleshy style, with loganberry, blueberry and plum fruit kissed by sweet spice and judicious toast notes on the medium-weight finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink ...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2008 La Confession is a sleeper of the vintage. Super successful, this spicy wine exhibits some toasty oak and loads of licorice, espresso roast, blackberry and cassis. A ...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Bright medium ruby. Exotic, high-toned aromas of blueberry liqueur, fruitcake and bitter chocolate. Creamy-sweet and opulent, with superconcentrated dark berry and dark choc...

About this Wine: This single-vineyard of three hectares is situated next to Château Angelus and represents the highest manifestation of Cabernet Franc in a wine of this level from Bordeaux. Se...

Stephen Tanzer's IWC: Dark red. Very ripe aromas of plum, blueberry jam and licorice. Tactile, plush and slightly liqueur-like, but a saline quality and good limestone lift leaven the wine's sweetn...

Wine Enthusiast: With it cellars in a back street of Pauillac, this wine is often overlooked. But with the same winemaking team as Lafite, it represents a serious wine, solid, chunky, containi...

Wine Spectator: This is dense and muscular, but balanced, with the flesh to offset the sinew, as pure mulled black currant, melted fig and crushed plum fruit is caressed by substantial but fi...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Owned by the sister of Dr. Alain Raynaud, this 100% Merlot was harvested very late (October 13), and it is definitely a sleeper of the vintage. Sweet blue and black fruits int...

Wine Spectator: Quite ripe, with a jammy edge to the plum, raspberry and cherry compote notes, laced with red licorice and spice on the finish. Drink now through 2014. -JM